


Natural Disasters

by manic_intent



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Full spoilers, M/M, Post-Canon, That Postgame story where Alexios tries to adapt to life after everything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-05 23:52:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17334725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manic_intent/pseuds/manic_intent
Summary: “Sorry about your sword arm,” Alexios said. He hopped down from the window sill, his handsome face attempting contrition but only managing a leonine grin under his beaked hood.Brasidas relaxed his grip on the dagger he’d grabbed from his desk. “There are normal ways of entering a house,” he told Alexios.





	Natural Disasters

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [【授权翻译】自然灾害(Natural Disasters)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17792303) by [for_sentimental_reasons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/for_sentimental_reasons/pseuds/for_sentimental_reasons)



> Finished Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey last night in time for the work week to start. It’s not the best PS4 game I’ve played recently by a long shot, given the last two games I finished were Red Dead Redemption 2 and God of War 4, but as with all asscreed games it’s gorgeous. 
> 
> S
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> P
> 
> O
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> I
> 
> L
> 
> E
> 
> R
> 
> S
> 
> I loved Brasidas. That sequence where he first appears in the warehouse with Alexios is amazing (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip4TRcHkI6M for those who haven’t played the game) and I ended up shipping him with Alexios even though he’s not a romance option and is a historical figure. 
> 
> I don’t know how much of the postgame I’d play, though it’s hilarious that they let you add your surviving fam to the ship, but anyway, here’s a little fix-it short. I can’t really be bothered to do detailed Ancient Greece research, especially for a game where you can deadass ride a unicorn and fight the Minotaur, so if there are any weird inaccuracies, /handwave. 
> 
> Despite everyone speaking Greek in the game, the translated English dialogue’s still peppered with Greek words, for ~flavour I guess, so I’ve kept it that way.

“Sorry about your sword arm,” Alexios said. He hopped down from the window sill, his handsome face attempting contrition but only managing a leonine grin under his beaked hood. 

Brasidas relaxed his grip on the dagger he’d grabbed from his desk. “There are normal ways of entering a house,” he told Alexios. 

His reproach was halfhearted. Alexios was one of the most beautiful people Brasidas had ever met, and he had once thought himself immune to beautiful things. Tall and broad-shouldered and quick on his feet, his thick hair flecked with fine gold beads, Alexios smiled easily, laughed easily, as fierce as the eagle he bore. And like his sister and his famous ancestor Leonidas, Alexios strode through a battlefield like an incarnation of Ares himself.

Before Alexios, Brasidas had also thought himself immune to petty emotions. Now every time he ran into this handsome young man, Brasidas found himself coveting Alexios more. Even—especially—now, as Alexios laughed. It was a rich, wild sound. “What’s the fun of that?” He leaned a hip against Brasidas’ desk, gesturing at the bandages and splint on Brasidas’ sword arm. “My sister tells me she could have killed you if she wanted to. Which is her way of apologising, I think.” 

“I doubt that,” Brasidas said. Having met Kassandra/Deimos in battle twice, he had no doubt that she could have killed him both times if she had wanted to. It wasn’t sentiment on her part, he’d just happened to be in her way. 

“Probably not,” Alexios conceded, unrepentant. “It’s lucky that she saw me when she did.” Kassandra had hesitated before dealing Brasidas a killing blow with his spear when she had broken his guard, kicking him in the stomach instead and tossing his spear aside as she charged her brother across the battlefield. 

Brasidas grimaced. He was a skilled warrior in his own right, even by exacting Spartan standards, but Kassandra and Alexios were on another level altogether. God-touched or blooded, by the rumours. Some days, Brasidas was inclined to believe them. “Have all of you been settling in well?” 

“Surprisingly so.”

“Surprisingly?” 

“Well,” Alexios said vaguely, “given that my pater is technically a deserter, my mater once broke King Archidamos’ nose, and the very many things my sister and I have done, yes. Surprisingly. The neighbours are friendly, even.” 

Brasidas chuckled. “Your pater is a famous General who continued to take orders from King Archidamos even after ‘deserting’, your mater is a direct descendant of King Leonidas, you and your sister are among the strongest living warriors in the world. Of course the neighbours are friendly. This _is_ Sparta.” 

“…True. How could I forget? I’m in a part of the world where a natural talent for bloodshed and destruction is admirable.” 

Alexios was still grinning, but some of the humour had gone out of his eyes. Brasidas tried to recall if he’d heard of anything recently that might have upset Alexios. He’d been busy recovering from his injuries post-Amphipolis. The last he’d heard of the matter there’d been a stir when Nikolaos had returned, but since no one had been in danger of being executed Brasidas hadn’t paid it much heed. “You’re in a strange mood,” Brasidas said, after a pause. “Is there something you need?”

This time, there was a longer pause. Alexios looked away towards the window. His eagle, Ikaros, had settled on the branch of a nearby tree, grooming itself while keeping a watchful eye on its master. “I’m bored,” he said. 

Of all things Brasidas had been braced to hear, this had been nowhere near consideration. “What?” 

Alexios looked a little embarrassed. “I don’t think I’ve ever had to stay so long in one place since leaving Kephallonia.” 

“The last I checked, you still have a good horse and a crewed ship,” Brasidas said, blinking. 

“I do, yes. That makes it worse. I _could_ leave. But my sister. Yesterday, she nearly beat Stentor to death. I can’t exactly say he was blameless,” Alexios said, still staring out of the window, “but if I hadn’t been there to intervene… well. That’s the problem. I’m the only one who can intervene. Whenever she gets into one of her. Moods.”

Having been on the receiving end of Kassandra’s blade twice, Brasidas could sympathise. “You could take her with you,” Brasidas began to say. He hesitated. One sibling by themselves was already a natural disaster. Two together…? Brasidas didn’t really want to think about it. 

“I thought about that,” Alexios said, oblivious to Brasidas’ reserve, “since I still have other errands to run, but most of what I have yet to do involve the Cult. In her current state of mind, I’m not sure if bringing Kassandra along for that would be a good idea.” 

“Your sister has suffered at the hands of the Cult.” There was something pared down about Kassandra, honed, the way Brasidas had seen some Spartan warriors honed. Those born to parents who had tried to forge them into weapons for familial glory instead of into people. Sparta made far too many weapons. “You’ll need to be patient with her.”

“Patient?” Alexios asked. His jaw set briefly. “Stentor is useless—not that I was hoping for help from that end. Nikolaos doesn’t understand the problem. Mother tries to pretend that all is well. I feel like I’m the only one who can see what is wrong, and I don’t know how to fix it.” 

“So you came to me?” Brasidas said, puzzled. He was a strategist, a warrior, a general, a spy, a politician, but he was hardly a healer. “I don’t know how I can help you, Alexios. I’m sorry. Perhaps your friend Hippocrates—”

“Kassandra isn’t hurt.”

“Not physically, no. But she _is_ ill.” 

Alexios bristled. “Given what happened to her, she’s fine.” 

“She isn’t. You said it yourself. Something’s wrong, and you don’t know how to fix it.” 

“I…” Alexios exhaled loudly. “I was hoping that it would be simpler. That she would come home and it would all be right again.” 

“It could still be so. In time.” Brasidas glanced at his paperwork. “In the meantime, perhaps I have a stopgap solution. I do have work available. Spartan business, for a misthios or two with time on their hands.” 

Alexios grinned. “I was hoping you would say that.”

#

Working for Brasidas had its perks. Alexios particularly appreciated the fact that Brasidas was a frontline sort of leader, someone who wasn’t afraid of getting his own hands dirty. As they rode away from a warehouse that Brasidas was still personally searching, Kassandra let out a loud snort.

“What?” Alexios asked, wary of an outburst. He was still learning to read the signs. Kassandra could go from neutral to a killing mood in the blink of an eye. Even when she was in a good mood, she was full of venomous jibes and sharp edges. 

“If you want to fuck him, just tell him,” Kassandra said.

Alexios nearly fell off Phobos’ back. “ _What_.” 

Kassandra rolled her eyes. “Come on, brother. I think I threw up in my mouth a little back there from all the fawning you did. Isn’t he too old for you? Though, apparently our mater fucked a man hundreds of years old. Maybe this runs in the family.”

“First,” Alexios growled, “don’t ever say that about mater again.” Kassandra merely smirked. She’d figured out quickly what got under Alexios’ skin, and enduring it could be a trial. “But yes,” Alexios conceded, “having actually met Pythagoras, that was. A strange experience. I don’t even understand why mater did that.” Leaving Pythagoras to his untroubled self-imposed exile had been a bit of a relief. 

Kassandra considered this seriously instead of spitting out another venomous jab. “Maybe she just did it out of curiosity. I would.” 

“…Really?” Alexios said, morbidly fascinated for a moment before horror overtook his curiosity. “No. Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.” 

“If only to find out whether a man several hundreds of years old would still have functional equipment,” Kassandra said. She made a filthy gesture and laughed at whatever she saw on Alexios’ face. “Look at it this way. This Brasidas is considerably younger in comparison. So maybe he isn’t too old for you. I take that back. He’s a pathetic fighter, though.” 

Alexios scowled. “No, he isn’t.” 

“Come on, I defeated him within seconds. Twice. I wasn’t even trying either time. _You_ could probably defeat him in seconds.” 

“That’s not really a measure of anything, let alone a person’s worth. Why are we talking about this?” 

“It’s your business if you want to surround yourself with pathetic people,” Kassandra said, with a sharp curl to her mouth. “I personally don’t see the appeal. That one-eyed Captain friend of yours, for example. What even is the point of him? There are better captains out there and he talks too much.” 

“I happen to like Barnabas, thank you.” 

“I grew out of looking for missing parents in other people a long time ago. You should too. Especially since our actual parents have returned, given they’re both such paragons of the institution.” Kassandra paused. “If I were you, I don’t think I could have forgiven Nikolaos for throwing me off a cliff.” 

“It was a long time ago and I survived,” Alexios said. He let Kassandra grumble and snap about Nikolaos as they rode, disoriented. Him and Brasidas? Sure, Alexios had maybe thought about it now and then. Especially after Brasidas’ dramatic introduction into Alexios’ life. Brasidas was smart, wise, and handsome to boot. He just—

“Hey.” Kassandra leaned over in her saddle and snapped her fingers in front of his face. Alexios flinched. “Seriously. Just tell him.”

“Tell who?” 

“Don’t pretend that you don’t understand me. If you’re too much of a coward to tell him then I will.” 

“What? No!” Alexios could see how that would go. If anything, he might learn whether it was really possible to die of embarrassment. 

Kassandra grinned wolfishly, baring her teeth. “Then get over yourself, brother. By the Gods, if I have to watch you make calf-eyes at him during a debrief one more time, I will stab you both myself.” 

“Two men at once? Including your own brother? Why, sister, I never thought that you would be interested in something like that. I’m learning more about you every day,” Alexios said. It was his turn to smirk as Kassandra spat to a side and spurred her horse into a canter.

#

Brasidas stared, bemused, as Alexios bodily shouldered his sister away from the entrance to Brasidas’ tent. Kassandra laughed and made a gesture that Brasidas couldn’t see, giving her brother a mocking salute and mounting up to trot away downslope.

“Maláka,” Alexios muttered as he watched her go. 

“Should she really be going around unsupervised?” Brasidas asked. They were half a day’s ride from a farming community. Granted, it was a Spartan farming community, but it wasn’t as though the majority-helots population could do anything against Kassandra if she got bored. 

“She won’t go that far. I hope.” Alexios murmured the last sentence under his breath. Unusually, Alexios looked ill at ease. He couldn’t seem to look Brasidas in the eyes and kept casting his gaze around the small camp as though he was searching for something.

“Kassandra appears to be better,” Brasidas said. He was used to command and to young Spartan warriors who were often better at drawing a blade than talking, and it was easier to let them get around to the point in their own time with gentle prompting. 

“She is, I think? Two days ago she actually resolved an argument with Stentor by walking away instead of trying to strangle him.” Alexios looked even more uncomfortable. His sister wasn’t what was weighing on his mind, then. 

“How is Myrrine?” Brasidas hazarded a second guess. 

“Fine? I think. The last I saw she was having a shouting match with King Archidamos. I don’t even remember what that was about.”

“I heard about that.” Sometimes Myrrine forgot that despite being of the blood of Leonidas she wasn’t _actually_ a Queen. Sparta didn’t work that way. “Nikolaos?”

“For all his talk about wanting Stentor to stand on his own feet, he’s gone off with Stentor on a campaign.” Alexios rolled his eyes. “You’d think Stentor’s old enough to have grown out of wanting pater around all the time, but _noo_.”

Wanting to have the Wolf of Sparta around on a military campaign probably stemmed from more than just attachment issues, in Brasidas’ opinion. He smiled instead, folding his arms. “Did you want something?” 

“What? No? Uh, no.” Alexios slunk off. Brasidas stared after him in bemusement and turned back to his letters.

#

“Coward,” Kassandra said, as they rode towards their next objective. Some sort of fishing commune suspected of harboring rebels, something like that.

“Shut up.” 

“What _is_ the problem, anyway? I’ve seen you flirt with people. Pathetic as your attempts are, they generally appear to work. Most people in this world don’t have high standards. He’s probably the same.” 

Alexios passed his hand over his face. “Shut up.” 

Kassandra stared at him, studying his face. She let out a harsh bark of laughter. “Why, brother. You’re in love? That’s hilarious.” 

“Kassandra!” 

“No wonder you took me giving him a few scratches so _personally_. Alexios, Alexios.” 

“You crippled his leg and nearly cut his sword arm in two,” Alexios growled. Thank the Gods that had all mostly healed.

“And he’s not dead. Scratches,” Kassandra said with a dismissive wave. “Also, you didn’t deny it.” 

“Not. A further word,” Alexios bit out. When Kassandra merely sat back in her saddle and smiled sharply, Alexios said, “After this mission, I’m thinking, we could collect mater and sail over to—”

“No.”

“No? What happened to ‘Lakonia is so fucking tedious’?” Alexios mimicked Kassandra’s complaint from the day before. 

“Lakonia remains tedious. All these hills and rocks and boring people everywhere. But this thing between you and Brasidas, hilarious.” 

“I should have just let mater deal with you and your issues,” Alexios said, then he yelped as Kassandra abruptly spun her horse around. “Where are you going?” 

“Back.” 

“Back? Back where?” Alexios spurred Phobos, but he was a passable horseman at best—not that he would ever admit this to Kassandra—and Kassandra was riding a grudging gift from Stentor, a well-bred black war horse called Aithon that easily outdistanced Phobos on any terrain. “Kassandra!” Alexios roared. “Get back here!” 

“Catch me then,” Kassandra called back over her shoulder and laughed. It was a joyous sound, with little of her usual habitual cruelty. They thundered down the road, over jagged rocks, and between olive trees. Aithon surged forward as Kassandra gave him his head. Alexios swore. Phobos was trying his best, his breaths blowing out in deep gusts, but by the time they came within sight of Brasidas’ camp Kassandra was already standing beside Brasidas, gesturing. 

Brasidas stared at Alexios as he dismounted hastily. “Alexios—”

“I can explain,” Alexios said hastily, with a glare at his sister. 

She bared her teeth into a grin and pulled herself back onto Aithon’s back. “Don’t take too long explaining,” Kassandra said, and nudged Aithon into a trot. 

“She is _such_ a…” Alexios took a deep breath. Brasidas had a strangely neutral expression on his face. Fuck. “Look. I wouldn’t have told you if it was up to me, you’re a friend of my mater’s, uh, possibly of pater’s too, and, you never looked like you were particularly interested, also some people take this kind of thing very personally, and I don’t exactly have a lot of people I admire, so.” He took a deep breath. “Just forget what she told you?” 

“What she told me?” Brasidas repeated carefully. 

“She probably told you that I love you?” At Brasidas’ stare, Alexios pinched the bridge of his nose. “Or. Worse?” He was going to _kill_ Kassandra. 

Brasidas blinked slowly. “Is it true?” 

“Which part?” Alexios asked, wary now. 

“That you’re in love with me,” Brasidas said, so gently and calmly that Alexios lost some of his nervous tension. Brasidas didn’t look upset. 

“Yes? But. Anyway. Sorry. We’ll be on our way.” Maybe it was best to just try and beat a retreat and hope Brasidas forgot about it. Alexios was going to get back on Phobos when Brasidas grasped him gently by the arm.

“It’s very flattering,” Brasidas said, and oh Gods, of course Brasidas was going to try to be kind. Alexios’ stomach sank. He tried to pull his arm out of Brasidas’ grip and froze as Brasidas leaned in instead, kissing him hard on the mouth. 

Oh. 

Right. 

Well. Alexios was a misthios, and a misthios was an opportunist by nature. He kissed Brasidas back, daring to try to lick into his mouth. Brasidas twisted strong fingers into Alexios’ thick hair and bit him, his beard rasping over Alexios’ chin. Alexios gasped. He walked Brasidas back until Brasidas’s shoulders hit the bark of a tree. Bracketed and pinned, Alexios rubbed against Brasidas, wishing they were both out of their tempered cuirasses, that the ornamented leather strips and belts and skirts weren’t in the way. 

They kissed until Alexios was breathless and sweating into his tunic, his hands restless on Brasidas’ flanks and thighs until he was bitten over his throat, his jaw. Then Kassandra pointedly cleared her throat behind him. 

Brasidas went very still even as Alexios groaned and pressed his forehead briefly against the bark of the tree. “I hate you,” Alexios told Kassandra.

“No you don’t,” Kassandra said smugly. “Are we going to this fishing commune or what?” 

“I can’t believe you told him,” Alexios said, once they were on the road again. When Kassandra sniffed, Alexios added grudgingly, “But thanks.”

“I didn’t tell him anything,” Kassandra said. 

“You didn’t…? But he said…” Alexios trailed off. “You mean I didn’t have to…? Fuck!” 

“It worked out, didn’t it?” Kassandra pointed out. “If in the most pathetic way possible. Amazing. I think you even surpassed my expectations.” 

“You…! I…” Alexios took in a deep breath. “Let’s not. Talk about this. Ever again.”

“That’s what you think. I’m going to remember this moment forever.”

#

Alexios wore a hunted expression when he let himself into Brasidas’ room through the window. “I think there was a misunderstanding,” he said, as Brasidas rose from the desk.

“Was there?” Brasidas asked, stalking over. This time he was the one pinning Alexios to something. Alexios was a little taller than he was, not enough that it made access inconvenient. He kissed the nervous tension out of Alexios, stroking his cheek and throat until Alexios relaxed and started to rub against the thigh Brasidas pressed between his legs. Alexios had done this before with a man, then. Good. Made things easier. 

“On second thoughts, maybe not,” Alexios said, quickly recovering his usual fey humour. He smiled at Brasidas with kiss-bitten lips, a gorgeous come-hither smile for an audience of one. He flipped their positions, shoving Brasidas to the wall and kissing him until their lungs burned. Then, still grinning wickedly, he went down on his knees. 

Brasidas sucked in a slow breath. He stroked his fingers through Alexios’ hair, scratching a nail over a bead. Alexios hummed. He navigated belts and grumbled as the leather ornamentation of Brasidas’ cuirass got in the way. “You’re laughing?” Alexios complained as Brasidas tried and failed to hide a grin. 

“I could get the armour off,” Brasidas said. 

“Too long,” Alexios said. He spat on his palm, deftly navigating underwear. He pushed the ornamental strips aside and shoved up red cloth. Even slick, his hand was rough over Brasidas’ firming cock. Weapon calluses. Alexios grinned lazily up at Brasidas as he stroked. “By your command,” he said playfully, startling a laugh out of Brasidas.

“Really?” Brasidas tugged pointedly at Alexios’ hair and Alexios conceded, leaning in to suck Brasidas eagerly into his mouth. 

Gods above. Brasidas had never met anyone he’d been inclined to marry, but he hadn’t been celibate over the course of his life. He’d had quick and dirty fucks before battles, leisurely drawn-out experiments with hetaerai and more, but sex had always been more like scratching an itch for Brasidas until now. Now he wanted more, as though Alexios had awakened a hunger in Brasidas that he hadn’t thought possible for himself. He clenched his hand in Alexios’ hair and ground deeper, choking out an apology when Alexios gagged. 

Alexios grabbed Brasidas’ hips when Brasidas tried to pull away. His shoulders shook in silent laughter as he took a moment to collect himself. Then he started to pull himself up and down Brasidas’ cock, moaning as he curled his tongue and squeezed down what he couldn’t take. Brasidas shuddered and bit out a curse, his hips twitching. He gasped as Alexios pulled at his hip, urging him on and moaning as Brasidas tried a tentative thrust. Alexios’ groans were hungry. Loud and obscene. For a moment Brasidas wished his armour away, that he had a better view. 

Next time, maybe. He took what he was given instead, rolling his hips, then taking Alexios’ tight throat in urgent snaps when Alexios merely moaned louder. His fingers clawed tight in Alexios’ hair, his heartbeat hammering in his chest. Gods, he _had_ wanted this. More than he had even thought. Lust roared hotly in his blood, Aphrodite’s curse. She _had_ cursed him. Brasidas knew now that he could slake his lust for Alexios only temporarily. He would want Alexios again, want him more. 

Alexios hummed, a rumbling sound of satisfaction. As though he knew. And why would he not? Alexios knew he was blessed. Ares walked with him in war, why wouldn’t Aphrodite kneel with him in this? She had already shaped his face, wrought perfection in his body. Brasidas pressed his head back against the wall and tried his best to stifle his cries, stuffing his fingers into his mouth. If he was to be cursed then let him be cursed. He would welcome it. With a snarl, Brasidas pulled Alexios onto his cock, as roughly as he dared, and spent himself down his throat.

Fingertips clenched down over his hips as Alexios choked, then swallowed in eager gulps. He licked Brasidas lazily clean as Brasidas sank against the wall and tried to catch his breath, then he ducked up for a look with a mischievous grin. “Brasidas,” Alexios said, his voice ruined, then yelped as Brasidas swore and bore down on him, meaning to knock him onto his back. Laughing, Alexios wrestled him instead, feinting, twisting free of Brasidas’ grapple. He pinned Brasidas face-down on the floor, twisting Brasidas’ arm behind his back as he mouthed at his ear and kissed the back of his throat. 

“I see how you won that wreath for Sparta,” Brasidas said, as Alexios rubbed his erection lazily against Brasidas’ rump. 

“Don’t remind me. That was a strange experience involving too many sharks,” Alexios said. He was breathless and panting as he ground against Brasidas, though it couldn’t be comfortable. He bit down against Brasidas’ nape, against his throat, then he made a low hoarse sound and went still, his hips twitching. 

As they cleaned up and set their clothes to rights, Alexios looked Brasidas slowly up and down and grinned. “Maybe my sister isn’t a complete disaster,” he said. 

“Maybe.” Brasidas sank down into a chair. “I don’t have any further work for the two of you, though. To be honest, I think you’re both starting to unnerve the king.”

“Mother said something along those lines herself. She has business to attend to in Messara and has told us to take her there.” Alexios leaned against the table, his knee nearly nudging Brasidas’ hip. “I might not be back in Sparta for a while.” 

“I thought that might be the case,” Brasidas said, unable to hide his disappointment. He leaned up into the kiss anyway, when Alexios bent to take one from him. Kissed away the bitterness on Alexios’ tongue, tasted the wildness and the curse. 

“You could come with us,” Alexios suggested, and Brasidas was briefly tempted. Such were curses, yet duty was stronger.

“I can’t spare the time,” Brasidas said. He took another lingering kiss, apologetic until Alexios nipped at him and grinned against his mouth. 

“Then I’ll find you again,” Alexios promised. “Afterward. But in the meantime, we’re only setting sail tomorrow morning.” He rubbed his palm pointedly up Brasidas’ thigh, under his skirt. “Do you have time to spare until then, commander?” 

“We’ll see,” Brasidas said, and pulled Alexios back down toward him.

**Author's Note:**

> twitter: @manic_intent  
> tumblr: manic-intent.tumblr.com


End file.
